


The Sufferings of Girl Friends

by isuilde



Category: Free!
Genre: Day 2 Prompt, M/M, MakoRin Week, Unrepentant Fluff, this whole thing is disgusting tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-15
Updated: 2014-12-15
Packaged: 2018-03-01 14:21:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2776226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isuilde/pseuds/isuilde
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Despite their long-distance relationship, Makoto and Rin manages to gross out their female friends. Mainly because these girls have to deal with the daily antics that are just too--sweet. A visit to the dentist might be required.</p><p>(or, Makoto and Rin's honeymoon period stretches to forever, and both Aki and Gou are just long-suffering. Probably Haruka and Sousuke are, too, except they're far away in Windsor, so.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sufferings of Girl Friends

**Author's Note:**

> MakoRin Week Day 2, alternative prompt chocolate.
> 
> Fine, I lied, I totally didn’t have the prompt in mind, I just tried to slip it in. /shot/ =)) Uh, this was an old thing I started writing after twitter shenanigans with attemptsonwords, previously [drawn here](http://buttleronduty.tumblr.com/post/99396188209/also-swims-backstroke-is-a-huge-scaredy-cat) by waifu [buttleronduty](http://buttleronduty.tumblr.com/). I really wanted to write it properly so here it is, the disgusting entirety of it. =))

If only, Yazaki Aki thinks, Tachibana Makoto doesn’t just happen to be best friends with three prospective Olympic swimmers (as well as dating one of them, but that’s a fact that is uncommon to people’s knowledge), maybe he wouldn’t have been so popular in the vicinity of their campus.

Okay, so three-fourth of that popularity has a lot to do with the fact that Makoto is widely known as not only on of their campus’ best-looking backstroke swimmer, but also that one adorable guy who feeds numerous stray cats in their university complex, looks ridiculously attractive in glasses that he only wears in classes, and volunteers to almost every campus activity that involves kids. The fact that Makoto is extremely gentle and basically has back muscles that could constitute porn by itself probably adds to the popularity, too.

But Aki’s statement stands.

“Oi, Tachibana!” From a seat several rows down, Maeda Atsushi waves over at where Makoto and Aki sit, still shoving their belongings back into their bags and discussing dinner plans. He has one of the newest men’s fashion magazines—Aki recognizes the cover because her roommate Misa-chan had made an inhuman screech at it when they passed the news stand this morning—and is enthusiastically gesturing at Makoto and Aki to come over. “This one’s got interviews with your friends!”

Makoto positively brightens. Aki shakes her head and smiles, fully expecting to make a stop at the campus’ convenience store once they’re out of the class.

It turns out, as Maeda proceeds to show them the particular page with the interview, that ‘interviews with your friends’ really just means ‘interviews with Matsuoka Rin and Yamazaki Sousuke’. Aki sighs, tries not to be too disappointed because Nanase Haruka remains the elusive athlete who expertly slinks back without being noticed by press and proper interviews after his every race. Makoto looks just slightly disappointed because Haruka isn’t on the page, but there’s a spark in his eyes that only gets brighter as he reads the article, and well, it’s really not hard to guess.

“What’s the interview about?” she gives Makoto a sunflower smile, leans sideways to take a peek at the magazine, and reads:

_Yamazaki: Rin is actually bad with girls._   
_Matsuoka: Blasphemy. I’m not, it’s just with training and everything, it’s hard to find the time. Not to mention that I’m very picky when it comes to choosing life-partners—I mean, not that I’m considering to have one like, right now, but it’s a serious matter, isn’t it?_

Aki blinks. Then turns at Makoto, takes in the slightly giddy curve on his lips, the faint red tinting his cheeks, and she smiles knowingly.

The red on his cheeks grows. He tries to shrug it off as he returns the magazine to Maeda without so much as a stammer, but Aki could see the way Makoto positively glows—it’s a little dangerous, to be honest, considering how Makoto attracts people’s—mostly girls, but also some boys—attention, and sometimes Aki half-seriously thinks if they’d ever get mobbed for real by the so-called Tachibana Fanclub.

“Zaki-chan, let’s go.” Makoto says, actually beaming like a middle school kid. Aki chuckles, falls to step to follow Makoto’s steps—which seem to have an extra spring on them, wow, this is maybe what is called the power of love. Aki isn’t sure, but it does good, so she doesn’t mind. They’re out of the classroom and down the hall, passing the announcement board and the Judo Clubroom when Makoto finally tells her: “Let’s stop by the convenience store for a bit?”

Aki watches him—the way the corners of his lips keep twitching up like he can’t stop grinning, the way his eyes stay wide and too bright, the way his hands are fiddling with his phone, the way he just can’t seem stop to… the exact word, Aki thinks, would be vibrate.

“Makoto-kun,” Aki says lightly, still with her sunflower smile. “One of these days, Matsuoka is probably going to propose to you.”

Makoto chokes on his breath, and Aki relishes in the wave of satisfaction as a deep shade of red colors Makoto’s whole face.

**\-----o0o-----**

Gou sleeps over at Makoto’s place when she has to pull off an all-nighter to do her assignments. When she does, the living room transforms into some sort of hermit nest—papers spread everywhere, tangling with blankets and small notes, opened snacks on the kotatsu along with a few dirty dishes while the empty ones are strewn around the trash can, obviously thrown in the general direction without much care. Sometimes there are cans of beer in the midst of bottles of water, and that’s how people usually know that the assignment she’s working on is particularly frustrating.

She cleans up after, though, and Makoto doesn’t mind, because he never says something about it. Also because Makoto could get so much worse, when he’s pulling an all-nighter for assignment himself. The point is, Gou makes a mess of Makoto’s living room, but she cleans up after she’s done with her assignment and passed out for a half a day, so it makes it okay (also because Makoto is already like her own brother, at this point, regardless of the fact that he’s dating her brother).

She’s only just done washing the dirty dishes she’s accumulated when the front door opens and she hears Makoto coming in with an “I’m home!”

“Welcome home, Makoto-senpai!” she calls back, drying her hands before sticking out her head out of the kitchen. Makoto is lugging in a bunch of plastics filled with—bottles? Gou blinks. “Did you go shopping?”

“Ah, it’s for the swimming club tomorrow,” Makoto says, laughing almost nervously. He straightens up, glances at the living room and grins. “You’ve finished, Gou-chan?”

“Yes,” she throws back the grin, untying the apron she’s wearing (it’s Makoto’s, but it doesn’t seem to be seeing much use, considering she bought it for him as a souvenir from Hokkaido a few months ago and it still looks pristine) before hanging it carefully on the kitchen wall. “Oh, did you buy supplies? Wow, that’s a lot of sports drink, is there a sale or something?”

Makoto scratches the back of his head, looking sheepish. “Ah, no, it’s just—“

As if on cue, on the TV she’s left on, a catchy tune starts playing—an advertisement of the same brand of sports drink that are currently inhabiting three of the plastic bags Makoto had lugged in, with bright red and white colors and a lame tagline of Sweat Out Your Summer!, and the face of Matsuoka Rin flashing his sharp grin, confident as he thrusts his fist forward, holding said sports drink, before eagerly drinking it.

Gou stares at the TV. “I… haven’t seen this ad before.”

“Rin said it’s new,” Makoto replies, sounding a little dazed just as the screen focuses on Rin dumping the rest of the sports drink over his head, completely soaked with sweat and water now. Gou thinks he looks kind of lame, but he’s her brother, she’s bound to be biased.

As the advertisement ends, though, she turns back to the three plastic bags full of sports drink that had just been on the ad, and stares at them for a long time. “So these are—“

She looks up in time to see Makoto flushes beet red. “Um. Rin makes them seem so good and—and refreshing and—uh.”

Gou stares at him some more.

“He looks cool when dumping the water over his head,” Makoto says weakly.

“Okay,” Gou says, injecting as much I-don’t-wanna-have-anything-to-do-with-this tone as she could into the word. “Just so you know, Makoto-senpai, I’m not helping you lugging them around to the swimming club tomorrow.”

“Eeeeh? But Gou-chan, why—“

Gou turns back to where she’d left her papers and tunes him out.

**\-----o0o-----**

Aki eyes the tight brown jeans hugging Makoto’s legs appreciatively with a smile muffled by her red scarf. Makoto flushes red, eyes downcast. “Zaki-chan, please.”

“They look good, Makoto-kun.” Then her gaze turns curious, as she lags behind one step to get a better look at Makoto’s ass. She has her own guy, sure, but it doesn’t mean she can’t appreciate good figures. “I don’t remember you ever wearing these before. Did you go shopping without me?”

“Zaki-chan—“there’s a whining note in his tone, and Aki laughs softly, speeds up so she falls right next to Makoto again. She pats him sympathetically on the shoulder when a pair of girls pass them, eyes obviously straying towards Makoto, and giggle. “Maybe I shouldn’t wear them. I look ridiculous, don’t I?”

“Why would you think so?”

“People are staring at me weirdly.”

Aki wants to roll her eyes. “For a whole different reason than what you imagine. “

Makoto sighs. “These—don’t really suit me, I think. I mean, they’re cool, and very comfortable to wear, but these design suits Rin better, really.”

Aki nearly pauses on her steps. “They’re Matsuoka-kun’s?”

“They’re from the brand he adverts for, sometimes Rin sends me samples—“ Makoto smiles at her, almost embarrassed. “He said he thinks they’d suit me, but—“

“I didn’t know Matsuoka-kun is possessive.” And likes to brag, Aki adds silently, considering the way the jeans stretch around Makoto’s ass.

“Huh? He’s not, though. What are you on about, Zaki-chan?”

“Never mind, Makoto-kun.” Aki smiles her sunflower smile, and thinks that it’d be disgusting, if Makoto and Rin aren’t so adorable. She eyes Makoto’s hips again, appreciatively, and mentally notes to compliment Rin’s taste. Judging by the tightness of the jeans, these samples are probably what Rin wears in ads, which means they’re Rin’s size, and should be at least a number too small for Makoto.

Well, she’s not complaining. It’s good eyecandy anyway.

**\-----o0o----**

_Matsuoka: I like spicy food, I don’t like sweets._   
_Yamazaki: Don’t give him chocolates._   
_Matsuoka: Oh, but KitKats are great, aren’t they? I never eat them much, but I’ve tasted pretty much all possible flavor of them—the hojicha and wasabi flavor’s my favorite, but the cinnamon cookie one isn’t bad either._

Gou raises her eyes over the sports magazine she’s reading—the one Makoto had bought for Sousuke and Rin’s new interview, and stares at Makoto on the other side of the table, nibbling a hojicha-flavored KitKat.

“Makoto-senpai,” she says, conversationally. “You love KitKats, right?”

“Mmm? Yeah.”

“You stock them. In the pantry. Because you love chocolates and KitKats are your favorite, am I right?”

“Yeah.” Makoto nods, crumples the empty KitKat wrapped in his hand before opening another one—this one is Blueberry Cheesecake—eyes never leaving his laptop as he continues to type away, working on his assignment that’s due tomorrow.

“When,” Gou pauses, wonders if she really wants to know, and decides that Rin is still her brother, so yes, she probably needs to know if his brother’s taste in food changes somehow. “When Oniichan’s with you, does he ever eat some? KitKats, I mean.”

Makoto’s eyes finally turn to her, away from his laptop for a second, and an amused smile plays on his lips. “What? No, Rin doesn’t like sweets, he doesn’t eat chocolate, remember?” A faint shade of red spreads across Makoto’s face, his grin turning a bit shy. “If I kiss him right after I eat KitKats, he usually complains afterwards.”

Gou stares some more at the _I never eat them much, but I’ve tasted pretty much all possible flavor of them_ part of the interview until the letters blur together as her head aches. She sighs, puts down the magazine, and takes out her phone.

_Oniichan, your newest interview? Gross. I thought I told you to be subtler._

**\-----o0o-----**

Some athletes, Aki supposes as she and Gou settles side by side on Makoto’s couch with the TV blaring out another news coverage of the final of Windsor 2016 FINA World Swimming Championships, are also some sort of celebrities, especially when they’re good-looking. She’s really not half-surprised that the female newscaster brings up Sousuke’s muscles when he comes out second place on the final heat of the 50 m Butterfly.

Gou eyes the screen critically, obviously disagreeing with the newscaster. “Sousuke’s been gaining a bit too much of muscles,” she huffs, in a tone announcing that clearly the commentator knows nothing about muscles. “If he’s not careful, it’d hinder him in the water.”

“I heard Mikoshiba-san has been provoking him to body-build more or something,” Makoto calls as he emerges from the kitchen, three cans of soda in his hands. He bends down, gives Aki one of the cans and lobs another to Gou, before settling down on Aki’s other side, stealing the shark plushie that rests on Aki’s lap. Aki lets him, nudges him once so she can stretch her legs. They watch the news now replay Haruka’s 200 m Freestyle, and then make a toast as Haruka finishes first, leaving others in the same heat far behind.

Aki tries to tone down her grin as the camera finds Haruka’s face, full of confident lines that make him look younger, brighter. For an unabashed second, she thinks Mine, but the thought brings up heat to her face, so she scrubs at her cheeks furiously. Gou just throws her a knowing smile, and she ducks her head, embarrassed.

The news covered Rin’s 100 m Freestyle and 100 m Individual medley last, zooms in to the gold and silver medal hanging in his chest as he returns to both Sousuke and Haruka’s open arms, and the camera stays in the duration of their group hug until Mikoshiba bounds toward the three and envelopes them all in a huge hug. Aki thinks she’d like to be there, too, to watch the medals on their chest clink against each other as they share laughter and maybe a bit of tears in the hug, and judging by the way Makoto stare longingly at the screen, he’s probably thinking the same thing.

“Too bright,” Gou laughs, but her voice sounds rather thick. “We’re going to have a huge party when they come home. Oniichan’s going to stay for a while, too, before going back to Australia, right, Makoto-senpai?”

“Just for a month,” Makoto replies, the longing look replaced by his usual warm smile. “I don’t know where he’d stay, though, I mean, logically he’d stay with Gou, but—“

Gou rolls her eyes. “No, he’d stay with you, obviously.”

Makoto flushes. “I—I mean I’d like that, if Rin wants that.”

Before Aki or Gou could reply to that, the TV blinks and the camera crews are chasing Rin, Sousuke and Haruka, calling for an interview. Rin flashes a sharp grin on the screen, looking simultaneously too bright and wrecked, Aki finds it a wonder that her eyes could slide over towards where Haruka stand next to Rin. She hears Makoto makes an aborted noise at the TV, and barely decides not to laugh at him because Haruka is looking at the camera, and oh, she’s missed that blue eyes.

The interview glosses over _how was the race, how does it feel to win the world championships, how would this go in their preparation for the next Olympics, aren’t they sports celebrities now in Japan, congratulations_ and both Rin and Sousuke take turns to reply with the standard _it was hard, as expected as the world championships, they’d train more for the Olympics, they’re athletes first before celebs, thank you—_

“Matsuoka-san does several adverts, too, though?” the interviewer cuts in, sounding excited. “You represent a brand of fashion and sports drink, and you have your own fanbase screaming in Japan, now, don’t you?”

Rin blinks, looking sheepish for a second. “I do ads, yeah—they’re great products, the clothings are comfortable and the sports drink is my favorite, so when they offered I didn’t hesitate to say yes.”

“Well, then, let me represent your fanbase in asking you the most anticipated question of the year: is there anyone waiting for you back home, Matsuoka-san?”

As if on cue, Rin’s face turns an interesting shade of red. “No—no! I’m too busy with my career, and all—” he scrambles, flustered and flushed, and Aki wants to laugh at how Haruka and Sousuke both exchange pointed glances, looking like they’re about to roll their eyes. “I mean, I do like the gentle types—who like to take care of people, have a soft spot for animals, especially cats. Probably reminds you of an orca, somehow. Brave when it comes to make life decisions, but is actually a scaredy cats—glasses are adorable, too, and surprisingly childish. Has to swim, preferably backstroke—“

“Matsuoka-san, that’s oddly specific…”

“Really? I’m just picky when it comes to choosing life-partners, so—“

“Wow,” Aki and Gou chorus in disbelief. Makoto makes a noise that suspiciously sounds like a giddy giggle, and Aki takes the remote away from Gou’s lap just in case Gou loses her patience and decides to turn off the TV before proceeding to call her brother and yell at him.

“Is he doing this on purpose? Is he?” Gou demands, but her eyes are laughing when Aki turns to him. She lobs an arm pillow at Makoto, who is now burying his red face onto the shark plushie. “Makoto-senpai, you two are so gross.”

“Yamazaki-kun and Nanase-kun look so done,” Aki comments.

“I’d look the same if I were there,” Gou points out. She groans when Makoto makes another one of those odd noises into the shark plushie. “Makoto-senpai, come on.”

“He’s so cute,” Makoto whines, half-muffled by the plushie. “I miss him a lot, Gou-chaaan.”

“Surprisingly childish,” Aki murmurs in agreement, and turns the volume up as the interviewer turns to ask Haruka other questions.

**\-----o0o-----**

Two days later, when Makoto wears a shirt that stretches across his chest and shoulders, coupled with his favorite flannel shirt and another one of those tight-ass jeans Aki just knows is one of the samples, Matsuoka Rin appears on their university gate.

There’s a commotion when Aki and Makoto steps out of the building—Makoto’s face is increasingly looking brighter and brighter with every step—girls and boys alike mobbing the lone figure standing next to the brick gate, leaning back against it with his usual bored look and a headphone covering his ears as he humors his fans, signing whatever it is thrusted under his face.

Makoto restlessly shifts—vibrates, Aki thinks—and murmurs, “Should I go there?”

Aki levels him her best are-you-stupid smile. “He comes all the way here to get you, Makoto-kun.”

“He could have come for Gou,” Makoto points out feebly, which has no point because they both know Gou doesn’t have any class today and Rin would have gone to her place if he wants to see her. Aki elbows him good-naturedly, starts steering him towards the gate, and Makoto whines. “But Zaki-chan, people are—“

And that is when Rin looks up from his mob of fans, catches sight of them, and instantly brightens.

Aki is frankly amazed that no one in the mob is blown away by the blinding smile.

“Makoto!” Rin calls out, returning the last notebook he’s signing to the closest person standing before him, and easily breaks through the mob. He half-runs towards Makoto and Aki, leaving the mob behind, lowering the headphones covering his ears. Next to him, Makoto stiffens, looking dazed like he’s forgotten how to word. Rin stops merely a step before them, leaning forward like an excited kid on Christmas, grinning roguely. “You took your time—I’ve been waiting for fifteen minutes. Oh, hi, Yazaki-san.”

“Hello, Matsuoka-kun,” Aki replies in amusement, watching how Rin’s hand keeps twitching forward, like he wants to reach out to touch Makoto. “It’s been a while.”

“Yeah,” Rin beams. Positively beams. Aki wonders if she’d need a sunglasses when she hangs out with these two together. “Makoto and Gou told me that you helped them out a lot. Thanks, as usual.”

“You’re not my mother,” Makoto pokes Rin on the chest gently, and Rin’s laughter rings clear like summer bells. “I thought I’d see you home, today?”

Rin shrugs. “I got impatient. Dropped my things at your place, and went straight here.” He shifts forward, closer now to tap Makoto’s arm lightly. “Lunch?”

“I—yeah,” Makoto’s voice goes soft. “You’re staying at my place?”

Rin gives him an incredulous look, but the line of his lips curve into a soft smile. “Didn’t you give me your apartment key for that?”

Makoto sighs when Rin’s fingers finally touches his own, light and cautious, before drawing back. “Yeah.” He smiles, fond and content, and Aki likes that rare look on Makoto’s face. “Our usual place for lunch?”

Rin grins, all sharp teeth, and there’s a promise in his voice when he replies, “Whatever you want.”

Aki steps back. “Well, as fun as that sounds,” she says, deciding that she’d get cavities if she stays longer. “You boys have fun. If Matsuoka-kun’s home, I’m going to have to cook real dinner tonight.” She grins at the curious looks thrown her way. “Celebrating your victories. Eight pm, my place.”

Makoto’s eyes morphs into concern. “You’re preparing it by yourself? Are you sure you don’t need help?”

Aki hides a smile behind her scarf. “Thank you for offering, Makoto-kun, but I don’t want disaster in my kitchen today.”

Rin laughs, and Makoto splutters denial, and Aki is just glad that they look happier than ever. She waves them off, watches them trudging off the sidewalk, arms brushing every other second, shoulders close enough to touch, half-bickering and half-laughing as they pass Rin’s mob of fans on the gate, and just before they disappear on the turn towards the station, Aki catches their fingers linked.

She shakes her head as her fingers fish out her phone, dialing Gou’s number. When the other girl picks up, she says, without preamble, “You know, it’d be so disgusting if they aren’t so cute and looking too happy about it.”

Gou laughs through the tinny speaker into her ear. “I know, right.”

**\-----o0oFinitoo0o-----**

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Second Day of MakoRin Week! :D


End file.
